AMERICOPS: COMMUNITY PROGRAMS & DISASTER PREPAREDNESS COORDINATOR

DEPARTMENT: Aberdeen Service Center

POSITION TITLE: AMERICOPS: community programs & Disaster preparedness coordinator

SUPERVISOR: SERVICE EXTENSION DIRECTOR

Service Term: AUGUST 1, 2023, TO JUNE 15, 2024

MISSION STATEMENT:

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

AmeriCorps

This position is funded by AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is a national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Each member makes a year-long, full-time commitment to serve on a specific project at a nonprofit organization or public agency. There is a pre-taxed Living Allowance of $20,000 per term.

SCOPE OF POSITION:

The Community Programs & Disaster Preparedness Coordinator at Salvation Army will re-invigorate impoverished communities by coordinating emergency disaster services, food distributions, and community outreach. This role is responsible for partnering with community leaders to assist in educating the area on the importance of disaster preparedness and help create plans for mobilizing staff, volunteers, and resources before, during and after a disaster.

Description of anticipated service schedule: This position strengthens time management skills, multitasking, teamwork, and independent service capabilities. Refer to the site supervisor for any questions regarding your work assignments or other concerns.

AmeriCorps Member Position Assigned Service Activities:

Emergency Disaster Services/EDS Volunteer Recruitment:

• Lead (once trained) or assist TSA NW Division, EDS Training Manager before, during, and after each regularly scheduled EDS presentation venue.
• Give out the EDS Awareness pre- and post-survey and assist in tallying the results for reporting purposes.
• Prepare/clean and sanitize the venues/host sites and surrounding areas before and after each EDS presentation.
• Lead or assist in the volunteer recruitment efforts that site supervisor deems important or necessary,
• Build community disaster resiliency with engaging materials, presentations, and exhibits covering items such as identifying possible local disasters, how to be prepared, how to help the community, and the role of The Salvation Army.
• Explore novel ideas to increase efficiency, reach, and quality of combatting food insecurity.
• Build capacity to respond to local/regional incidents by recruiting and developing a trained team with coursework, at least quarterly field training opportunities, and ensuring all volunteers have completed all necessary steps to be deployable.
• Widen outreach network in the nearby communities to secure future EDS presentation venues as needed.
• Develop connections and thorough working relationships with all sectors of the community including governmental, nonprofit, and community groups to build a whole community approach supporting all those affected by disaster incidents including survivors, first responders, and responding groups.
• Develop the Puyallup area Emergency Disaster Services policies and procedures to ensure response in a timely and effective manner.
• Develop and manage multiple communication channels (print, email, text, social media, etc.) for all aspects of EDS (volunteers, community partners, community, etc.).
• Develop volunteer opportunities marketing collateral.
• Develop and implement communication opportunities: social media, message board, emails, community group networking.
• Increase the effectiveness of volunteer opportunity's structure: policies and procedures, communications, standard roles and responsibilities, orientations, coaching, exit interviews, feedback loops, thank you' s, etc.
• Develop and implement a yearly volunteer program calendar to ensure volunteers are recruited and developed for all needed opportunities.
• Recruit and onboard volunteers for all corps community center opportunities.
• Collect relevant data for dissemination into appropriate database system.

Social Support Services:

• Receive, sort, store, distribute food, personal hygiene supplies, and other items directly and through recruiting, developing, and managing volunteers.
• Plan and prepare boxes of food and other items for community distribution (especially in rural and underserved areas) partnering with other food banks, community-based organizations, and governmental bodies.
• Build and sustain relationships with community members experiencing food insecurity and connect households to the appropriate community resources.
• Conduct grassroots community outreach to connect families with their nearest food banks and meals sites.
• Partner with food banks, community-based organizations, and governmental bodies to develop and implement large-scale antihunger strategies including, but not limited to, increasing of donations to The Salvation Army food programs, food outreaches (especially in rural and underserved areas), and funding opportunities.
• Collect feedback and implement change as a result of family and community feedback.
• Explore novel ideas to increase efficiency, reach, and quality of combatting food insecurity.
• Reduce food insecurity through planning, preparing, cleaning/sanitizing, and serving meals to the community center and for special events.
• Lead or assist in regular and seasonal (e.g., Back to School, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Summer Camp) activities as appropriate: camp transportation, Calendar development, Mall Giving Tree, picking up donations, community opportunities.
• Ensure the canteen is clean and sanitized, and continually ready for deployment, road worthy, and stocked.
• Collect and share all relevant information (local successes, testimonials, numbers, and types of assistance provided, etc.) to the site supervisor for dissemination.
• Manage confidential client data, input into the appropriate database, help prepare and disseminate necessary reports, and track ongoing food security interventions.
• Listening to and building relationships with seniors, disabled, and other guests of the community center.
• Create a sense of place of belongings, worth, and dignity.
• Explore novel ideas to increase efficiency, reach, and quality of combating food insecurity.
• Develop and disseminate marketing collateral for community and guest engagement.
• Develop and implement a means of increased volunteer and donation recruitment and engagement: connect with service clubs, community groups, places of worship, schools, businesses.
• Create and implement feedback loops for community, donor, and participant engagement as well as to identify areas of improvement, community duplication, missed opportunities, and community unfilled opportunities/areas of support.
• Create opportunities for all participants to thrive in life skills, community connections, as well as emotional, social, and physical wellbeing through a wide range of programing opportunities such as classes, off site field trips, and guest speakers.
• Develop more effective methods of service and support through community networking and partnerships.
• Help to create a sense of place of value, trust, and change through developing, implementing, and analyzing multiple feedback loops.
• Ensure no senior is left behind through developing outreach engagement methods such as developing marketing collateral, site visits to places seniors live and frequent, multiple communication channels, and community networking and partnerships.
• Develop and manage multiple communication channels (print, email, text, social media, etc.) for all aspects of the community center (participants, volunteers, community partners, community, etc.).

Qualifications:

Education and Experience

• Certify that they have or will obtain a high school diploma/GED term before completion of first year of service, and agree to obtain it before using an education award,
• Be 18 years or older at the start of service (no upper age limit),
• Pass a national service criminal history check,
• References, one professional and one personal,
• Hold one of the following citizenship statuses: US citizen, US national, or Lawful Permanent Resident,
• Must be available to work 40 hours a week for one year, and
• Per The Salvation Army policy, all employees and AmeriCorps members must be fully vaccinated no later than July 15, 2023, as a condition of employment. Being fully vaccinated means that an individual is at least two weeks past their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen. If you are a selected candidate, you will be required to provide proof of vaccination. Please inform The Salvation Army if you need information on medical or religious accommodation.

What we are looking for:

• Experience and passion for working with youth and families from low-income communities.
• Experience working with diverse populations and an ability to apply a racial equity lens towards anti-hunger services.
• Ability to build and sustain relationships and effectively communicate information to a broad audience.
• Strong organizational skills, and the ability to collect and manage confidential client information.
• Ability to effectively communicate information to a broad audience, including conducting outreach to parents, youth, and other community members.
• Second language skills are highly desirable so that we can offer services to families in their preferred or native languages.
• Ability to navigate in new and unfamiliar areas.
• Members will frequently move or lift boxes weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Preferred to be able to drive a 15-passenger bus and 20 foot long by 12-foot-high box truck.
• People of color and people with experience accessing food resources are highly encouraged to apply.
• This position may involve service in outdoor weather conditions, and may involve standing, walking, or moving around the service location for up to four hours at a time.

* Sick or personal days are allowed, but members lose possible days to earn the required number of hours needed to successfully complete the term of service. There are additional benefits offered if the member has compelling personal circumstances.

Benefits and Evaluation Requirements:

• Education Award received upon successful completion of their term of service,
• Living Allowance,
• Health care, if applicable,
• Student loan forbearance for eligible loans,
• Member Performance Evaluation requirements during the term, if applicable. For more details about the benefits please refer to the Member Service Agreement

NOTICE TO APPLICANTS:

AmeriCorps service fills a critical need in our community and is considered essential work during the COVID- 19 pandemic. In this role, you will primarily serve in-person and on-site, with limited opportunities for remote service. The Salvation Army is following all guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the Washington State Department of Health regarding COVID-19 safety protocols. We are eager to support you in having a safe and impactful AmeriCorps term.IV. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

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The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. The goal of all programs is the spiritual regeneration of all people and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

Qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential duties of the service role with or without accommodation. A qualified person with a disability may request a modification or adjustment to the job or work environment in order to meet the physical requirements of the position. The Salvation Army will attempt to satisfy requests as long as the accommodation needed is reasonable and no undue hardship would result.

The Salvation Army will comply with all governmental orders and any contractual obligations relative to COVID-19 safety measures, including mandatory vaccination of staff, if required. The Salvation Army will consider requests for exemptions from any such requirements on either religious or medical grounds.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Minorities/Women/Veterans/People with Disabilities.